


Welcome To RiverdaleStuck

by Candy_Corn_Queenie



Category: Homestuck, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Asshole Dave's Bro | Beta Dirk Strider, Child Abuse, F/F, F/M, Gen, Humanstuck, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trans Dave Strider, cheryl and dave need some hugs, fight me, ginger dave strider, riverdalestuck, sburb meets riverdale, soft gayness, trolls are human now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-05-26 21:13:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15009566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candy_Corn_Queenie/pseuds/Candy_Corn_Queenie
Summary: this is a fic where the homestucks won the game, but when they traveled through, they were transported outside the sunny town of riverdale, and well... shenanigans ensue. dave has to deal with bro, cheryl has to deal with Penelope, and karkat and Toni are concerned significant others. secrets come out, and secrets are buried.





	1. Welcome To Riverdale, You're Stuck Here

**Author's Note:**

> please read the tags, do not read if you will be triggered, all yall be safe!!!

They’d won the game, they went to a new universe, but they were all human... weird. They sat outside sign, comforting written upon it the words, ‘Welcome To Riverdale’ tempting them inside. A tall blonde cool kid stepped forward, holding his hand out to a short angry black haired kid his age, smiling down at him.  
“Come on karks, get up.”  
“Get your fucking hand out of my face you bulgelicker!” Karkat Vantas said, his hand meeting the ‘bulgelicker’ named Dave strider’s own.   
They held hands after he was pulled up, Strider no longer having to fear that someone would see, only helping more were the happy looks he got from friends as family, knowing he was happy.   
“Well I say we head in, Kanaya?” Rose Lalonde said gently, looking to her girlfriend as she- and everyone else- stood up to join the two already standing boys.   
“Absolutely, dear.”

 

They all parted ways into the tiny town, trying to find their way, David, choosing to go where his stomach took him, heading to pops. Down a few isles, sat the happy couple of Topaz and Blossom, sharing a cherry milkshake, smiling contently at each other. This however was not true, for strider, for as soon as the doors bell rang, he felt all he had worked for, everything he had overcome, come crashing back.   
Tunnel vision, if you’ve never experienced, is where you seem to only see one thing, everything else fading or blacking out, symptoms vary. This particular case, chose them to befall the young boy, as he saw an orange trucker hat, spiky hair, and triangle glasses turning to look him right in the eye, ember orange he had finally stopped associating with swords and hate, instead with brothers and care, meeting a red that seemed to be draining of life, filling instead with fear.   
No no no, this can’t be happening dave thought as he turned, ready to run. Run where? Anywhere.  
“Davey! Get back here you scoundrel!” Scoundrel, he only calls me that if he’s really angry, what did I do this time? What will he do this time? “You been gone all day kid, come help your dear old bro with our dinner alright?” Bro said as he held out a bag to dave, and a twenty to pop.  
“Of course.”  
They were in the car in a flash, almost as if they’d flashstepped, if that wasn’t forbidden in front of strangers, and dave held two bags on his lap, trying not to lose whatever food he had in his stomach at Bros next move.  
“Ya know kid,” he drawled in that Texan accent of his, nearly making Dave flinch behind his shades,” haven’t seen you all day,” a hand found its way onto Dave’s leg, rubbing up and down, in perfect sync with the bile rising in his throat,”maybe we should have some family time tonight,” his grip tightened as he began driving out and onto the road,” just the two of us, don’t that sound nice?” His grip tightened again, like a rope around a neck, making dave whimper in pain.   
“Don’t fuckin make those noises at me boy, or you’ll be whinin about more than just that, by the time I’m done with you.” He let go, facing the road completely, leaving Dave to deal with the panic rising in him, Bro was back, and this time there was no crazed dog guy to kill him.

 

Mom was all that came to the mind of Rose Lalonde as she stared ahead, her sister/mom/daughter Roxy clutched her arm next to her, mesmerised by her aged up lookalike in front of them.  
“Roxy, Rose! Where have my girls been?” she turned to them, affection and care laced through her words, reminding Rose of those two things being laced through all the things she had received from this woman in her youth.  
She couldn't control herself, she ran forward, threw her arms around her, and whispered tightly “too far mom, much to far.”  
“Rosey! You're never this open at home,” Mom sounded surprised, but her arms crept around Rose’s body, hugging her back while Roxy stood back, proud and happy,”this is nice, honey.”  
She looked back to her previous engagement, some clothes from the shelf of the dingie clothes store Roxy had dragged her to.  
“Now i know you two don't like shopping with me, but i need something to make your father regret leaving with your brothers.”  
“Our, father?” Roxy said cautiously, unsure whether she had heard correct, slight joy seeping into her words. The Lalondes were never good at keeping their feelings secret.  
“Bro,” Rose froze, Dave,”don't you remember dear? I could’ve sworn you hated the living daylights out of him, though I have no clue as to why.”

 

They drove to a trailer park. Wow, only thought for both the young Lalondes.   
“Come on girls, let's go see your family.” mom said as she opened her door, walking to the wooden steps leading to the Strider abode.  
Knock knock knock  
“Who is it?!”  
“Why Broderik, I'm surprised you don't recognise me? It's only your favorite ex wife and children!” Mom trilled, an edge in her voice.  
The door opened to reveal a tall man, to whom Roxy immediately whispered frantically “Dirkie?:o”, before seeing the evil and cruelty in his eyes.  
“Roxanne, Rose, Roxy; good to see you. Dirk is in his room, Dave is in the livin room.” he walked back, letting them in, and walking back over to the kitchen.   
Rose looked around the dingie trailer-esk home, and saw Dave sitting on an old couch, head in hands, and a pure black long sleeve shirt covering his upper body.  
“Davey!! :D” Roxy gasped, running to hug him, missing the flinch he gave when she threw her arms around him.  
Rose however did not, her eyes turning to a glare, her personality bristling, her gaze shooting to Bro, anger burning.  
“H-hey Rox, how’s it hangin?” he said casually, trying to act natural.  
“Hey kid!” Bro yelled, Dave turning to his head to meet his gaze, if not tentatively, “show the rest of these ragamuffins your room why don't you?”  
“Of course..”

 

“This is it, nothin special.” he waved his hand about, gesturing to his room.  
“David, has he done anything to you?” rose said, angrily, not able hide how much it upset her. “Because if he has, i swear to god i will curse him with every dark god there is.”   
Roxy was confused, not sure what her two technically ecto-kids were talking about.  
“No Rose he hasn’t done anything! God!” Dave exploded at Rose,”why the hell would he do anything?”  
“Then let me see you're arms!”  
“Why!?”  
“If he hasn't done anything why does it matter?”  
“Because he has! He has ok… he did it again, i thought maybe he would be better, but he's not..”  
Roxy surged forward to envelope Dave, Rose following soon after. Tears began, from all the children, but were soon startled as a new pair of arms joined the circle, scaring all of them.  
“Relax, it's me guys,” the voice of Dirk Strider said cooly.  
They all sunk to the floor, holding each other, as Dave cried, and they wiped it all away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Toniiiiiiiii. TOOOOOnnnnnnnnniiiiiiii. TOOOONNNNNNIIIIIII!” cheryl called to her girlfriend, who was currently starring out the window at the pair of blondes in shades who had just left. “What is your sudden obsession with those two guys?”   
“Didn’t you see the way the younger one looked at the other guy? So not ok, i wonder what's up with it…”  
“Do tell, toni-boo.” Cheryl said with a smirk, leaning forward onto the table slightly, showing her interest.  
“He looked almost, afraid, like big guy was gonna, hurt him?”  
Cheryl, having just picked up her sundae, dropped it, her grip going slack.  
“Hurt him? Why Toni, I'm sure if he was going to do any harm, it wouldn't happen in pops!” Cheryl tried to reassure her girlfriend, though it sounded more like it was to herself more than anything.  
“Oh my god!” Toni, currently pressed against the glass, exclaimed, “Cher, he just put his hand on lil dudes leg!”  
“What” Cheryl said, suddenly out of her seat and rushing towards the door.  
“Cheryl!” Toni called, but the redhead on heels was already out and gassing up her car, which they had arrived in.  
“Get in.” it wasn't a request, an order, but Toni knew that if she did not Cheryl wouldn't really be angry, and would never retaliate in any way.  
“Where are we going?”  
“Finding out where that shade-douche lives, and if he's going to Riverdale.”

 

“Yes, i do believe he’ll be enrolling here, he and his brother, Dirk.” Principle Weatherbee said, after retrieving the file neatly labeled Dave Strider.  
So that's lil dudes name. Toni thought casually.  
“Wonderful, can't wait to welcome them!” Cheryl said, faking enthusiasm to cover her dread, someone who would remind her every day of what she goes through.


	2. Welcome Losers, We're The Rivervixens

“What the fuck. They are all yellow and blue.”  
“That's kinda what they do dude.”  
“Why?!”  
“School spirit or some shit.”  
“Shut it street rats!” that, was Cheryl, yelling at Dave and Dirk, and effectively grabbing the attention of all whom had just arrived.  
Standing behind her was Betty, Jughead, Josie, Archie, Veronica, Toni, Kevin-currently blushing at triangle douche- and Reggie. In front, Dave, Dirk, Rose, Roxy, Jade, Jake, John, Jane, Vriska, Karkat, Terezi, Gamzee, Kanaya, and other students filing in, avoiding the newbies.  
“Welcome to Riverdale, we’re the rivervixens,” Cheryl gestured to the rest of white turtleneck and cheer dress clad women, “and we just wanted to say hello! We truly hope you enjoy your stay! No matter how...fake, you are.” she pointedly looked at dave as she said this.  
“Excuse me lil miss priss?” Dirk questioned, striding-hah funny- to the front of the pack, getting in her face, making her realize just how tall all the striders were, him towering nearly 6 inches above her, “what did you just say ‘bout my brother?”  
“Hey!” Dirk looked over to see a dyed pink brunette, small one too, scowling at him, “Back off ‘er before I make you, dweeb.”  
“Oh really?”  
“Yeah really, anime boy.”  
The tension was ready to snap, and it did.  
“That's it you lil-”  
“Hi! Would you like to do an interview for the school paper?” a bright voice said behind Dave, gathering everyone’s attention as he pulled back a fist, ready to strike, only to lower it when he saw it was only a blonde ponytailed cheerleader, holding a recorder happily.  
“Uh, sure, and Dirk, lay off the little one, we only just got here.” with that he walked off, pulling Karkat with him by their intertwined hands.  
“Aww! That is so cute!” Cheryl suddenly yelled, “you two are the cutest gay couple since Kevin and Whatever His Name Is!”  
A low cough, turned her gaze to Rose, not so subtly holding Kanaya’s waist, who commented politely, “I'm sorry to say, but I believe me and Kanaya here have those two beat, after all we did not suplex each other in our first meeting, did we, dear brother?” she said almost as a threat, but more of a challenge.  
“That suplex was the result of a legit game of penis ouji, and you know it.”  
“Penis Ouji?” Toni said incredulously, walking away from Dirk in favor of heading to Dave and Karkat.  
Small quips and comments like these were exchanged for quite a bit, until they realised they needed to get to class.

 

At lunch, Dave sat at the table furthest in the back, but soon found that to be a mistake, being shoved out of his seat, and having his food dropped next to him.  
“Look, i get you don't know this yet, but this is where we eat, not you. Now scram.” the girl from earlier stated from above him.  
“Toni, was it?” she nodded in response.”thanks for the warning, but I think I lost my appetite, so tell your little gang ‘congratu-fucking-lations’.” he said before heading to the nearest exit.  
He made it to the hallways, in search of a library of some sort, when he was ambushed by some jocks…  
“Hey girlie,” Dave cringed,”wanna know some tips, so you don't get utterly screwed like you were a few secs ago?”  
“They're seconds, and sure, i can spare some to talk to idiots.” Dave turned to see the boy Reggie from earlier, surrounded by his teammates.”oh wait i'm sorry, all i see are imbasules not worth even that.” he quipped before turning around once more.  
“Oh you're in for it,” was all he heard before he was shoved against the lockers, shades digging into his face, and he was flipped.  
Three punches to the gut, one knee, thank god for his binder- practically protecting his upper upper half- and a few punches to the face.  
When they were almost satisfied, Karkat rounded the corner, and yelled out.  
“What the hell!? Hey nookwhiffs! Get the fucking hell off him!” He ran forward, prepared to take any beating if he could get Dave out of harms way.  
The yelling attracted the serpents, who stood by the door as Karkat took on all the men he could, Dave by his side, the whole time the two of them arguing over who needed to get out of there.  
By the time they were done, Karkat had sustained a few bumps and bruises, each of which Dave fussed over worse than Kanaya, but was still in better shape then his mother hen of a boyfriend-matesprite-thing.  
“You're right Fangs, he's definitely serpent material.” Toni said to the referred boy, Fangs, before turning back to the two. “Small guy,-”  
“I'm the same size as you, you thinkpan damaged bulgeeater.” Karkat interrupted, making Toni flush in embarrassment  
“Whatever, meet me outside the school today, ok? Good.”  
“Looks like you've gotta date, Karks. Never pegged you as the one to be runnin multiple dames at once, mr vantas.” Dave smirked as the gang retreated back into the cafeteria.  
“Shut up, Strider.” There was no hate behind it, purely affection.  
“Ohh Mr.Vantas! Uuugh!!”  
“Shut up!”

 

“Hi!! My name is Roxy, and I can't wait to be all of your friends!!!:D” Roxy said from the front of the room of her first period, her whole person exuding happiness and cheer. The students in front of her looking up form their pieces of paper, whether it be scratch, doodle, or pages in a book, none of them seemed to reciprocate her feelings, at all.  
“Thank you, Ms.Lalonde, please take a seat. Although you are not the only new student we have today, will… Dirk Strider? Please come up.” the teacher said politely, not really expecting the students in her class to be very excited.  
Dirk strode up to the front of the room, turned, nodded, and began.”My name is Dirk, I like computers.”  
“Loser!” one student yelled form the back of the room.  
“Michael! That is quite enough, Dirk you may ta-”  
“Say that to my face, and maybe I can rearrange yours to look better.” Dirk threatened from the front of the room, his shades glinting as he smirked in the direction of where the voice came from.  
“Dirk! There will be no violence in this classroom, or this school. Take your seat.”  
With that, the class began, everyone already nervous from Dirk’s response.  
Dirk headed to his seat, in between Roxy, thankfully, and the boy Kevin from earlier when they were ‘welcomed’ to Riverdale High.  
“Excuse me, Mr.Strider, but we do not approve of eyewear that is not needed, please remove your sunglasses while in my class.” the teacher suddenly said from the front of the room.  
“I'll make you a deal, how bout.” Dirk said, smirking once again at the teacher.  
“Alright, Strider, I’ll humor you, what's your deal?” she said, leaning forward on her desk.  
“I'll take off my shades, but when my bro Dave comes in here, he gets to keep them on, no questions asked.” Dirk, only looking out for his little brother, did not even think of how this would affect Dave in the long run, or more realistically, at lunch, as Reggie Mantle smelt blood in the water, weakness in the air.  
“Alright, he can keep them, now let's continue with the lesson, please.” the teacher smiled at him, standing up and going to the board.  
At the end of class, Dirk and Roxy were the last ones to leave, wanting to thank their teacher one last time.  
“Thanks for agreeing to my terms, teach, means a lot.”  
“Yeah! Have a good second period Ms.Grundy!”

 

Tears. Tears run down her face. Alcohol. Alcohol runs down her throat.  
Roxy Lalonde was getting drunk in a room, in a house, in a town, in a world, she did not know. She had watched movies before sburb, and expected to make the greatest friends of her life, what she got, was seeing all her friends doing either just that or the opposite. She had gone to lunch, saw Dirk hanging out with Jake and Kevin, Rose with Kanaya, perfectly happy together, John and Jade spending time with Josie, Jughead-though they didn’t get along quite as well with him- and Betty, Vriska gambling with who she now knew were the serpents while Terezi tried to pull her away, Gamzee sitting by himself watching a butterfly, Janey was at the library, getting cookbooks, Karkat nowhere to be seen, and Dave shoved out of his seat by said serpents.  
Roxy had been on her own, and met no one. So she went home after school, stole some of her new mothers old booze, and fled to her room.  
She jumped, hearing a knocking at the door.  
“Roxy, dear? I'm coming in.” she heard her mother’s voice saying sweetly.  
She opened the door, only to gasp and run forward grabbing the bottle from Roxy, and wrapping her arms around her. “Roxy, you told me you were done, I thought you and Rose had stopped.”  
“I know mom, but it hurts so much! :’C” Roxy sobbed into her arms, tightly hugging Roxanne.  
“I know, and i'm sorry can't stay for long, i've got to go to AA soon, but i'm here now.”  
“H-hey mom?”  
“Yes sweetie?” she pulled back, just to tuck a piece of blonde hair behind Roxy’s ear.  
“Could i...go with you?”  
“Only if you want to.”  
“I do, i want to get better.” Roxy said, and she meant it.

 

“A light in the room, it was you who was standing there…”  
A soft voice sang out to the halls, lingering with a somber sadness. Jade looked into the music room, her circle spectacles sliding down her nose slightly. She snuck towards the guitars, unheard, and began to pick one up.  
“Tried, it was true, as your glance, met, my stare…”  
Jade strummed her guitar, startling Josie, who had been singing.  
“You’re Josie, right? Sorry for scaring you, I just heard you singing all alone, and felt like you could use someone to sing with. I can leave if you want, my name’s Jade by the way, Jade Harley.”  
“No, it’s fine, thanks for wanting to sing with me by the way. Do you want to?” Josie asked, actually feeling quite alone and in need of some human contact.  
“Of course! Hey, after this, do you wanna hang out? I’m sure my Grandpa would be cool with it.” Jade suggested, her natural butterfly ways shining through, pulling Josie into her like a storm takes a ship, her bucktooth smile too bright to see anything but joy in the world.  
“Yeah, I’d like that.” Josie smiled at her new friend.  
Jade picked up an instrument, Josie a microphone, and they sang the rest of the song together, the song suddenly much happier.


	3. Welcome To The Striders, Don't Say A Word

“Bro! Get off of him!” Dirk yelled, all tiredness gone, for as soon as he walked outside his bedroom door, he found Dave holding his sword with one hand, his arm, blood seeping through his fingers, covering a gash on his arm with the other.  
He ran forward, grabbing his own katana, and shoving Dave out of the way. His sword met Bro’s, the metal on metal making Dave flinch.  
“Dave, get out of here, I’ll keep him occupied!” Dirk yelled over the noise being made.  
Dave looked almost as though he was considering, until Bro spoke again, and his choice was sealed.  
“You act like you can take me on!” with those words he used his sword to shove Dirk to the ground, towering over him. He pointed his weapon at Dave scowling hatefully at him. “You, don’t even *think* about goin anywhere.”  
Dave scrambled to a corner, farthest away from Bro he could be, and trembled in fear. Dirk began to pick himself up, but was pushed down by Bro’s foot. He felt pain blossom across his chest, and sharp agony blitz into life as his fist said hello to his face. Bro dragged him up by his collar, and punched him repeatedly, alternating when he felt like it between face and chest.  
“Dont. you. Ever. get. In. my. Way. boy. Or. you. Will. end. Up. worse. Than. your. Sorry. Excuse. Of. a. Brother.” he threw him on the ground, and picked back up his sword, which he had dropped, “do you understand me now? I’ll show you not to stand up to me you littl-”  
*clang*  
Dave was in front of Dirk before Bro could fully swing his sword down, and had successfully shoved Dirk out of the way, and towards the door to the trailer. Unfortunately, he had angered Bro even more.  
“Dirk get out of he-” the rest was cut off by a yell as Bro kicked him down, the words flashing in his mind informing him he would be gaining more bruises than normal before he left for school.  
Dirk listened to the insults, the anger, the hate, the hurt, the fear, and the sobs that mixed with his own as he sat outside the trailer and cried in a small ball, feeling all alone for the first time, for even as a child, Dirk had felt surrounded by people and love, knowing his friends were always there, but now he didn’t think he could do anything, and was too afraid to move, except for the sobs that racked his chest, and the tears that dripped down his face, as his brother was beat.

 

“Dave! Oh my god what happened to your face, and don't even try to tell me it was nothing, I don't give a flying *shit* how much you insist it was ironic or some idiotic reason!” Karkat greeted his boyfriend, his hands flying to his face, softly touching the bruises that were forming where Bro decided to not give a shit and let Dave come up with a cover story.  
“Chill, Karkat, me and Bro just had another strife this morning and I got clumsy, so he made sure to remind me I got some stuff to work on.” Dave said with a straight face, all emotions buried under a cool facade, along with purple skin and shitty shades.  
With his matesprite showing no emotion, Karkat turned to a procedure they had worked out on the meteor, when Dave got like this, having thought or had nightmares about Bro. he led him to a bench, sat him down, and took Dave’s hands in his own.  
“Feel my hands, know they would never hurt you,” he squeezed Dave’s knuckles, sadness coming in waves as he felt callouses he had only ever felt before at the beginning of their trip, when dave still used his sword,” touch my arms, remember how they have and will hold you,” he brought his hands, holding him by the wrists, up and down his arms, another crash of a wave bearing down as he felt Dave stiffen, then relax, anticipating the next step, “look into my eyes, know they love looking at your smile and every fiber,” he brought his hands up to Dave’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet, the pesky shades not being able to hide the pure affection they both held, if not clouding away the stilling fear in the red iris of Dave, “touch my face, and know I am not him, and I love you.” He rested Dave’s hands on his face, before bringing his hands to Dave’s, leaning forward to rest their foreheads together.  
“I pity you, I love you.” Dave said, saying the special way they told each other how they felt.  
“I pity and love you too, idiot,” Karkat responded, leaning in to peck Dave’s lips.  
It wasn't long before Dave started crying, all his stress and fear rolling off his shoulders in time with Karkat’s calming shooshes.  
“It was so much worse, karks…Dirk, he got involved and Bro only got angrier when he tried to defend me! I got him out of the way after I stopped being such a fucking child, but I really payed for that… and best of all? Bro says he's not even done with me yet! Says that the only reason he let me go is cuz of school… said to me, ‘wait till you get home, your brother is goin straight to his room, and you're goin out back with me.’... karks im so scared...” Dave sobbed, everything coming out at once.  
“I could go with you if you wa-”  
“No!” Dave interrupted, a new storm of fear flooding his eyes,” you can't go *anywhere* near Bro,” Dave’s voice softened to a whisper,” I can't let him do that, I can't lose you…”

 

Dave walked into the art room, ready to let his emotions flow onto the paper like he never could with his shitty comics, and recognised some happy faces. He began his walk over to the table, and sat down with his brother Dirk, sister Roxy, bestfriends John and Jade, and various other unfamiliar faces.  
“Dude, it is so lame that we only have art together, totally would've preferred PE, then I could get to see you get totally *owned* in each and every sport.” John laughed as soon as he was in earshot, his goofy smile that truly had no lies smiling up at him.  
“Nah man, I would *kill* in sports.”  
“Suuuuuuuure- wait wait wait,” John did a double take,” what happened to your face?!”  
“John!” Jade elbowed her twin,”rude.”  
“Naw, it's fine John; I just got into another strife with Bro, Dirk got in the way-”  
“Like hell I ‘got in the way!’ he was going to kill you, and I couldn't let him!” Dirk interrupted, his voice turning to a whisper yell. He raised a fist to show his anger, and immediately regretted it, seeing the fear flicker into Dave’s eyes, and seeing his little brother step back slightly, the hand at his side clenching and unclenching, as if trying to will a sword into his hand.  
Dirk sighed, stepped forward, and wrapped Dave in a hug, he didn't know how Karkat had calmed Dave down earlier, but he was going to do the best he could.  
They sat down next to each other, Dirk’s hand landing on Dave’s thigh. His first thought being that Bro would know when he got home, and had told him that he didn't deserve anyone, so to stay away from them. Bro would be so angry, he knew it. But then, Dirk’s hand started rubbing his leg, calming and platonic, the opposite of whatever he felt when Bro used to, and does, do that.  
“Dave, I know I don't ever really, *show* you I care, but I do,” John’s whole personality changed like a switch, suddenly darker and much scarier,” and if that guy does anything to you, there might be a little bit of bad weather the next time I see him, all im saying…”  
John seemed to brighten as Dave smiled at him, and they turned to the teacher’s desk as the bell rang, signifying the start of class.  
“All right kids, since I don't know any of your names, we’ll be taking attendance, so when you hear your name, raise your hand and say here, pretty basic.” Ms.Yelden, the art teacher said calmly, if not boredly, before picking up a clipboard, no doubt holding the attendance sheet.  
“Dirk Strider?” raised hand,”thank you.”  
“Michael Jown?” raised hand,”thank you.”  
It continued like this, until something, of course, went wrong.  
“Dove Strider?” Dave tensed.  
Everyone who knew him looked over, confusion written all over their faces. They didn't know, no one but Rose did, she was the one who had knit his first baggy sweater to make his chest look more flat after all. Dave looked down in shame, now that *they* knew, he knew they would leave, not wanting to be around some dumb ‘not right body’ freak. Dave raised his right hand tentatively, hating that Bro still wouldn't change his records.  
“It’s actually Dave…” this, for some reason seemed to make Ms.Yelden angry.  
“Really, because it says right here that your name is Dove, are you calling me a liar, Ms.Strider?” Yelden got out of her chair, and began walking towards to Dave, a glare settling onto her mid-twenties features.  
“Hey, Ms.Yelden?” John began,”I don't mean to be rude, but I think your records are wrong… See Dave’s my friend, and he’s a boy, always has been…”  
“No John, she’s right,” Dave said, his words so weightened by sadness that they practically fell to the floor, “the records say that… so it’s true…”  
From all around the room Ms.Yelden was gathering glares from her students, but an especially furious cherry red flavored one blew them all out of the water, Cheryl Blossom, would not stand for this.

 

Dave and Dirk were walking home, backpacks filled with homework that needed to be done, and faces with dread of how angry their guardian would be at home.  
“Go straight to your room, please.” Dave looked to his brother, worry etched into every line on his face, “You've never dealt with him like I have, I’ll know when he’s getting tired or bored and how to get him to stop, but you don't, so you’ll end up strifing till tomorrow for all we know!”  
“Dave, I am *not* leaving you in the same room as that hypermasculine monster we have to call our Bro.”  
Dave sighed, looked down, and started walking faster, as if walking away from Dirk would make him less of a target. However, the two young Striders were blissfully unaware of Cheryl, and as they walked, so did she. She was carrying in her bag, some strawberry muffins she had made in home-ec, wanting to cheer Dave up for what happened in art, and giving tribute to what she now knew to be the strawberry roots at the top of Dave’s head, where his hair had grown out, and needed to be dyed again. Her heels click-clacked as she walked along the pavement, and her nose crinkled as she smelt the burn of the wood fires in the trailer park as they neared the Strider abode.  
The two boys entered the home, and Cheryl, being nervous, due to how the boys had reacted to her on the first day, decided to look through the window before knocking. As she peeked into their lives, she saw more than she bargained for, and heard muffled shouts beginning to turn violent more than just angry.  
“Listen, *you*, are going to your room, and *I* am going to deal with your stupid brother.” A tall man, the same one from pops, pointed to Dirk, then to a door near the back of the room, and then attracted Cheryl’s attention to the tight grip he had on Dave’s arm when he shook him roughly as he said ‘stupid brother’.  
Cheryl gasped, noticing exactly what was happening, and began formulating anyway to stop this. People may think she was a cold hearted bitch, but she was able to tell when something was truly not ok, and would do everything to stop it. She knocked on the door as fast as she could, fixing her hair, and holding her box of muffins in front of her.  
“You have five minutes, then you're getting hell…” she heard the gruff voice of the-obviously broken in the head- adult, before the door was swung open. “Hello, what’s a pretty lil thing like you doin here?”  
“I'm Cheryl Blossom, and I'm here to give these strawberry muffins I baked to Dave, does he live here?” she chose not to give him time to answer, choosing to keep talking, prolonging the time for her fellow students until they had to deal with this brute, “You see, he was completely disrespected in art class today, the teacher not respecting his choices at all, calling him a girl over and over until he had no choice but to relent to her heinous actions. I cooked these to cheer him up and to show not all Rivervixens are that mean.” Cheryl smiled up at the man, him being even taller than Dirk, who easily towered over her.  
“Yeah he lives here, lemme just go gettim’.” he proceeded to leave the door open, an unspoken invitation if Cheryl had ever seen one, and walked over to the door she assumed was Dave’s, pulling him out by the scruff of his neck.  
Dave was flinching by the way Bro was holding him, pain coming in spurts if he tried to move, before he was shoved at Cheryl, and Bro walked into the kitchen to the right.  
“Blossom?” Dave’s eyebrows rose above his shades, and now that she was closer, she could tell they were definitely ginger, almost her exact color too. “What’re you doin here?”  
“Giving you these, hillbilly bob, just take the muffins, ok?”  
“Uh, thanks?” Dave asked, unsure what to do with the bag she handed him full of baked goods.  
“You're welcome, see you tomorrow,” she looked towards the kitchen, making sure Bro wasn't eavesdropping, “and I think you should sign up for the Vixens.”  
“What?”  
“You evaded the jocks at school today, don't think I didn't notice, you've got moves, and after all, our last vixen left recently, even if it tore him in half to do so…” Cheryl remembered said vixen, the pure black hair with purple highlights, hipster shades and all.  
“I thought the saying was tore him up, not in half..” Dave said, confused slightly, but also amused.  
“Whatever, you totally should sign, it’ll be fun, please?” Cheryl was getting desperate, she didn't know why, she barely knew the guy, but she wanted him as far from that man as she could get.  
Dave sighed, “Alri-”  
“I'm headin out, chinese in the fridge, emergency at the hole,” Bro said suddenly, interrupting Dave as he headed for the door, swinging on a leather jacket.  
Cheryl froze, she needed to go.  
“So I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” she didn't wait for an answer, “great.”  
Dave barely had time before he was grabbed by the scruff, Chery was out the door, so so was Bros tolerance.  
“Get to your room, and be ready when I get home.” he threw him to the ground before storming out. Needless to say, Dave worse long sleeves the next day.

 

“Toni, do you know anyone named Bro?” Cheryl said suddenly, her girlfriend confused on how she knew the name.  
“Yeah, he’s a serpent like me, though no one ever really sees him all that much, and he gives us tons of money every month. Heard he was bringing in two new guys soon too, why do you ask? Did he get caught doin something he shouldn’t of?”  
No, he had not, but Cheryl had seen the familiar sign of snakes on Bro’s jacket as he left, and the two new recruits, they had to be Dave and Dirk, and Cheryl had a feeling they didn't have a choice in the matter…


	4. Welcome, Get In The Snake Pit

“Wonderful, Strider!” Cheryl called out, clapping happily as Dave did a perfect split, finishing his tryout routine. “And since you're the only one who tried out, you get the spot, congrats!”  
Dave walked out of his poze, and over to Karkat, pulling down the shirt of his new uniform, blatantly trying to impress his boyfriend.  
“Hey douchenozzle, wanna stop fucking around and help me get to class?” Karkat smiled up at him, enjoying one of the few minutes where their extreme height difference was amusing and not infuriating.  
“Yeah su-” Dave was cut off by Karkat getting snatched away by Toni, the small girl pulling him away before either could get any word in. “bye, then? Ugh…”  
Dave leaned down to grab his bag, and as he came back up, he jumped, Cheryl having appeared by his side, grabbing his elbow as soon as he was straightened(hah, like *this* boy would ever be straight) up, declaring he was walking her to class, since they shared their first of the day.  
“Uh, sure Blossom, let’s go.” Dave began walking, smiling at the ridiculous ginger next to him.  
“Why of course, Mr.Strawberry Top.” Cheryl giggled back at him.  
To all those around them, they looked like the star couple, arm in arm, but on the inside they were just two children, playing house, pretending and playing, just having fun.  
“Hey, wanna sit next to me? There’s a free seat next to me, if you want it.” Dave suggested, surprising her.  
“Yeah, that’d be nice.” Cheryl smiled; she seemed to be doing a lot of that today, smiling, it really was nice, it reminded her of Jason.

 

“Were you serious yesterday, or not?” Toni whisper yelled at Karkat as soon as they were somewhere safe. “Are you ready to join the serpents?”  
“Yes!” Karkat answered, lightly annoyed they thought he had just been lying or joking with them. “Now will you get your insufferable human meat poles off of me!?”  
“My what?” Toni asked, quite confused.  
“Your *hands*, you bulgelicker!” god he hated using that word, Dave had had a big laugh when he finally called them that, it tasting so wrong on his tongue he had physically cringed, only stopping when Dave kissed him to make it better. He smiled at the memory, before returning to the present. “And don't worry, I do want to join. Just tell me what to do.”  
“Alright, the trails begin tomorrow, have fun with the beast!” Toni smirked, before walking away. “Oh, and see you at home!”

 

Lunch was interesting, seeing Dave and Cheryl sitting next to each other, laughing, being happy, obviously made both Toni and Karkat happy, but they were curious as to how this had come to happen.  
“Strider, since when do you sit with people besides me or Egbert?”  
“Since Cheryl came by my place last night,” Karkat tensed, Dave wouldn't cheat, would he? “And no, we didn't do anything, we both prefer the ones we’re already with,” he smirked at Karkat, but there was true sincerity in it that comforted him, “but then today I tried out, you should remember considering you were there, and then when you two,” he gestured to Toni and Karkat with his fork, still holding salad on it, “ran off, we walked to science together. Simple as that.”  
“Speaking, of you two running off,” Cheryl began, some fear in her eyes, “ I was told that some idiots, overheard you two?” said two tensed up, “talking about seeing each other at, home?” said two relaxed.  
Dave, having just swallowed some salad, began choking, Karkat by his side in an instant, smiling at him and chuckling slightly as he coughed up his lunch. *cute*  
“Yeah, shortstack here has been living with me at one of my homes, he’s fitting in great there, even introduced me two these two great ladies, they’re practically our moms now!” Toni laughed. “In fact, one of them, obsessed with fashion she is, fixes my outfit every morning while Lalonde makes tea for the both of them.”  
Dave, having just taken a drink, did a spit take, making Karkat burst out laughing at his boyfriend.  
“Do you mean to tell me that Rose and Kanaya are taking care of you two? And she didn't tell me?!” Dave pointed the question at Karkat, who was now wiping away tears of laughter.  
“Yeah, Lalonde’s even offered to give me snake bites when she gets the chance,” Karkat smirked at Dave. “and when she does, you won’t be allowed to kiss me for a few weeks.”  
“Excuse me ladies, we’ve got to go for a second,” Dave pulled Karkat out of his seat, and began walking, before turning around one last time,”oh and Cherry Lid?”  
“Yes, Strawberry Top?” Cheryl smiled at the nicknames they’d made up after pestering each other non stop.  
“Where’s the closest closet?” He smirked.  
“Down the hall, and to the left.”  
They were gone five minutes, and when they came back, they were changed men.  
“Back so soon? Who lasted the longest?” Toni smiled innocently at them.  
“Dirk apparently, seeing as Jake screamed first…”   
“Oh my god!” Cheryl burst, laughing her ass off.  
“No, way!”  
“I only wish.” Karkat responded, holding his head in his hands.

 

At the end of the day, Cheryl and Dave headed to Thistle House, Toni and Karkat heading to their home, both pairs happy with their new chosen family members. Cheryl and Dave headed up to her room, avoiding Penelope at all costs, deciding to do homework.  
“Ok, before you freak out, no, I did not steal these.” Dave said cautiously, before unzipping his backpack, letting around twenty apple-juices fall onto Cheryl’s bed, and he took out his homework. He looked sheepishly up at Cheryl, like he was expecting her to be angry, “Sorry…”  
“Oh my god, that is great!” Cheryl laughed falling back on her bed, a few apple juices rolling towards her on the bed where she weighed it down.  
“Thanks, apple juice needs to be cherished ya know?” Dave said, laying down on the bed next to Cheryl, who was still laughing, beginning to himself as well.  
Cheryl sighed, trying to decide if what she was about to do was a good idea. “Hey Straw-top?” she asked, turning over so she was facing him, the apple juice in between them. “If you're blonde, like the rest of your family, wh-”  
“Why do I have ginger roots and eyebrows?” Dave interrupted, smirking at her.  
She nodded sheepishly, truly curious.  
“Well, my mom Roxanne doesn't know, barely anyone does, I’ve always dyed it to keep the peace in my family. Bro said that none of our relatives have red hair, that they’re all blonde like Rose, Dirk, Roxy, Bro, and my mom, so the only natural reason, is that Bro had an affair behind Mom’s back, got her drunk enough that she thought Rose and I were hers, wouldn't of been that hard, if you go back far enough, and Mom doesn’t have a clue.” that was the story for *this* universe anyway. In the sburb session, Dave had chalked it up to weird shenanigans, but in this universe, it was pretty clear, genetics had something to do with it, much like how the trolls were human. Dave had even begun investigating all the gingers in the area, trying to find his mother, but with no luck.  
“Dave, I'm so sorry… if it makes you feel any better, I like it, I just wish it was your whole head, maybe we’d even match!” Cheryl smiled sadly at the boy in front of her, feeling bonds connect and pull them together.  
“Maybe tomorrow you could help me? Wash it out I mean, I kinda miss it, and Karkat’s been bothering me about how it’s possible, so maybe it’ll help him understand.” Dave laughed, thinking of how truly alien his boyfriend was.  
“He doesn’t get hair dye?” Cheryl, was surprised, how did an emo smol bean like Karkat not know about hair dye?  
“Yeah, it’s a bit ridiculous…” Dave said wistfully, making Cheryl smile at the affection in his voice, happy for her friend to be so happy.  
“Cheryl! Come down for dinner, and bring that boy you brought home, too!” her mother sounded happier than normal, and pairing that with that she knew Cheryl brought Dave to their home, meant she thought they were dating.  
“So, what should I expect when we get down there?” Dave asked, wanting to know how best to impress Cheryl’s mom, wanting her to like him so he and Cheryl would be allowed to hang out.  
“Hell, Strawberry Top, expect Hell…”

 

Karkat stood in between two lines, each having at least three serpents facing him. This was the final task, as he had taken care of Hotdog the night before, recited the laws easily, grabbed the knife from the rattlesnake-only able to do so with no fear because he forgot he was no longer alternian, thinking him being an alien would have the slither beast not affect him the same way- and was now in his and Toni’s front yard, at two in the (goddamned) morning, awaiting the attack that was the final task.   
The first to step forward was Fangs, who drove his fist into Karkat’s stomach, who, despite getting dealt a blow that would make many crumble, he stayed true, standing straight. The rest of the gang followed the first assult’s lead, beginning to barrage Karkat with attacks, until he fell to the ground, not even his pride holding him up-damn if Dave wasn't going to be pissed the next day- and he rose again, accepting a jacket, a double ended Snake on the back. He was a serpent now, and a serpent never sheds its skin.

 

Dave and Cheryl were sitting at the table, acting polite, just as they should, with Penelope sitting at the head of the table, primmly sipping her drink. Penelope sat her glass down, and Cheryl sighed, knowing what was coming.  
“So, David, you and my daughter seem to get along quite well, is that right?” penelope smiled at the two gays, trying to seem nice.  
“Uh, yeah I guess, we’re pretty good friends, and please, call me Dave, only my sister Rose calls me David, and that’s not even my name.” Dave laughed, thinking of how Rose had started calling him that during their time on the meteor.  
“Well, as I'm sure you know, we need an heir to the Blossom business, since my son Jason tragically died, last summer. Perhaps, you, could fill that void?” Penelope looked between Cheryl and Dave, trying to hint at something that wasn't there.  
“Sorry no can do,” all Dave’s politeness was gone, he saw what was going on here. Cheryl had obviously actually wanted to hang out with him, but her mom took it the wrong way, thinking they were together, and on top of that, was trying to get Dave to take over their business, most likely by marrying Cher, without her consent, and by doing so, showed Dave that Penelope did not think Cheryl was fit to be heir, well, he had some words for, “see, I'm like, really gay for this kid Karkat, he’s real hot, total 10/10 on his parents part.”  
Cheryl choked on her drink, laughter building up.  
“But, seeing as I’m out of the race, maybe *Cheryl*, your *daughter*, could inherit instead?” Dave looked to Ms.Blossom, a smirk painted on his face.  
Penelope was grasping at straws, and Cheryl was losing it beside him, so Dave took this as the perfect time to retire.  
“Well, dinner was great, hanging with Cherry was swell, see you at school, Cher?” she nodded, tears of laughter forming,” wonderful, see ya around Ms.B!” with that, he grabbed his jacket and ran home, Bro had texted him at 5:00, telling him to be home by 10:00 pm, it was 10:30, he was late, and so dead.

 

(if you are not ok with explicit non consensual sexual acts, please skip this part, go to the next chapter if it is out, or if it isn't, do not read on, as this is the last part of the chapter, only read if you know it will not negatively affect you)

 

The lights were off, and the door was unlocked. This, obviously, set off alarms in Dave’s head, telling him that Bro was either asleep and he could sneak to his room, wake up early, evading him but making him more angry in the process, or he was drunk, which is a million times worse. The situation seemed to get his mode, choosing to get even more horrible-Dirk’s car was gone, he probably didn't want to be around their guardian either, oh how Dave wished he could have gone with him.   
Dave opened the door, and was hit by a wave of alcoholic stench, and his fears were confirmed. Bro sat on the couch, facing the TV, and he was awake, despite all the lights turned off. His shades on the table, along with the landline, on speaker, the screen reading Cheryl’s home phone number.  
“Yeah, Pen, he just got home.” Bro hung up the phone, his orange eyes glaring into Dave’s red. “Davey, come here.”  
*no please no*  
Dave sat next to him on the couch, flinching when Bro dragged him closer, so close he could practically taste the beer he drank, and something told him, if Bro kept acting like he was, he was going to taste it by force.  
“Take off your shades, baby, let me see your pretty eyes?” He asked it as a question, but Dave knew better, he hated the names that crawled up his skin, crawled as creepily as the fingers that were chasing shivers down his back. He set his Shades next to Bros, and turned to face him, though not looking him in the eyes.  
“You're so smart, you know just what I want, don’t you, Davey?” his demeanor changed, his smile sinister, and his words sharp, “ Ms.Blossom was on the phone, told me you and that Cheryl girl were hangin out, but you told her you were dating someone. Is that true?”  
Dave hesitated, and earned a slap to the face, Bro’s leather gloves making it much worse.  
“Answer me you lil shit.”  
“Y-yes, Bro…”  
“Who?”  
“Someone from school…”  
“I said *who*, Dave.” Bro knew he was evading, and knew who.  
“A kid named Karkat,” Dave looked up at Bro, instantly regretting it when Bro lashed out.  
“That, is a *boy’s* name, is it not?” He grabbed Dave’s wrists, pulling him even closer, making him turn his head to avoid contact.  
“I-it is…”  
“I’ve told you before, either you date a girlie who can take orders and get you higher up, or you date,” He pulled him by his hair, Dave’s ear ending up near his lips, “*no one*.”   
Dave struggled, he couldn’t take it, and he didn't want Karkat to get hurt, he needed to warn him…  
“Ya know, when I hit you last night, you were so pretty, why did you cover them up, roll up your sleeves for me, Davey?”  
Dave did as he was told, maybe if he did what he wanted he would leave Karkat alone, maybe…  
“These can be covered, but if you're going to let no one see them, maybe I should mark you where everyone can, doesn’t that sound nice?” Bro drawled in his ear, making him shiver, and the thought of what he was planning made Dave start to move and struggle.  
“Bro please! Lemme go!” Dave began sobbing, it was useless, but he had to try.  
Bro pinned him to the couch, his lips moving down his neck, to where even a turtle neck wouldn't reach. The sucking began slow and deliberate, becoming more and rushed and hurtful with every second Dave kicked and pushed. Bro growled out, making Dave whimper as he pushed him roughly into the couch, there was no way out.   
By the time Bro was done, Dave had stopped struggling, stopped moving for all that matter.   
“You and your brother are coming to the wyrm tomorrow, learn the rules, and take care of the dog in the kitchen.” Bro said before heading to his room to sleep.  
Numbly, Dave did as he was told, feeding the dog, texting Dirk to pick up some more dog chow, along with puppy pads, he didn't feel like going outside with him, and telling him to learn the rules as well, repeating what Bro had informed him of.  
They were officially in the snake pit.


	5. Welcome To Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things you should know if you didnt read the part last chapter, Bro gave Dave a hickey, told him that he and dirk were joining the serpents and made them take care of hotdog and learn the laws, Penenlope called bro to tell him Dave was dating karkat, and after bro's actions dave was acting numbly, that is all.  
> please enjoy the chapter!

Dave went to school the next day, making sure hot dog was taken care of, memorizing the laws one last time with Dirk, attempting to cover the mark with makeup borrowed(stolen) from Roxy, and packing up for what he knew would be a long day.  
When he arrived, Cheryl and Toni were waiting for him, Cheryl smirking when she saw the mark, beginning to say “met up with Karkat last night, did you?” Before Toni pulled her to the side, whispering of how Karkat had been with her, Cheryl gaining a betrayed look. Dave could see it now, both the girls, saying things like “I can’t believe I thought we should be friends!” “How could you do that to him?!” If only they knew, then they *might* care, but probably not.  
Dave walked on, neither trying to stop him as he passed without a word. He soon came to Karkat, waiting for him to notice so he could explain himself, and Karkat could help him through it like he always did. Things, did not go as planned.  
“Dave, what the hell is on your neck?” Karkat asked quietly, fear and anger falling through his voice through the horrifying calmness.  
“Hickeys.”   
“I knew it!” Karkat laughed, tears beginning to pool, hurt crumbling his heart as he spoke.”who, who in this dumb new universe caught your attention more than me? I bet it was just some drunk sleazy little thing from the bar wasn’t it!? Wasn’t it!?” Karkat was openly crying, the whole hallway staring at them.  
“No, it wasn’t…”  
“Don’t you lie to me Strider!”  
“I’m not lying to you!”  
“Yes you are!” A sob, wrenching Dave’s heart more than anything he’d ever gone through. “Please just tell me who!”  
“No one Karkat! And if you don’t trust me enough that I wouldn’t cheat on you, well, maybe we shouldn’t be together!”  
Karkat froze, but anger brought him out of it quick, “Well maybe we shouldn’t!”  
“Great!”  
“Great!”  
“Don’t talk to me ever again, not unless you’re ready to *actually* trust me!” Dave yelled, his anger flooding, Karkat didn't understand, why would he? He only ever acted like he did, he probably never even liked Dave.  
“Won’t be a problem, Stri-douche, I wasn’t planning on it!”   
“Whatever…”  
The hall was silent as Dave stalked away, and Karkat was left crying. No one noticed the tinting gray of Dave’s skin, or the lighter white his hair seemed to become, the dark tendrils around him would only be described as brooding masculinity or emo teenage hormones. That is, no one noticed, except one Rose Lalonde, her eyes widening as she recognized the dark gods at work, this time using her brother as a vessel, rather than her.

 

“I can’t believe he left me, after cheating on me of all things!” Karkat sobbed, a furious Toni Topaz holding him in her arms.   
“I’m going to gut and skin that bastard, I swear to god.” Toni muttered, surprised when her little brother responded-yes, they are siblings, it’s a thing, that’s real- practically jumping out of her arms.  
“No! Please don’t hurt him! He might’ve hurt me, but… I still care about him…”  
Toni smiled, leave it to Karkat to be a hopeless romantic in the worst time possible. “Alright, I won’t hurt him, but I can’t make any promises for Cher, she was pretty pissed when I told her that you were with me and not him, looked like I’d just killed her dog.”  
“I know, but, I can’t help feeling bad too. I didn’t even ask him you know, just assumed everything… oh my god, oh my god Toni…! He said he didn’t! What was I thinking?! Dave, Dave told me on the meteor once that that back before sburb his *Bro* his horrible idiotic human lusii used to beat him up! And that that… that sometimes…. he did other things too…” Karkat looked down, realizing what must have happened, and feeling horrible for how he reacted.  
“Oh my god, that’s, *horrible*, I can’t believe it, that’s, that’s so not okay… I can’t believe someone like *him* is in the serpents. They can’t know, they’d never allow it.” Toni whispered.  
“Wait, you mean to tell me that Strider’s weird human lusus is in the Serpents?” Karkat growled out.  
“Yeah, he came out of practical hiding last night, you weren’t there, and announced he would be bringing his sons by today, to initiate them. Even gave them hot dog last night, so it’s already started…”  
“No no no no no!”   
“Alright don’t worry, we can fix this, but before we do… you started rambling earlier, what did you mean a meteor you were on, what the hell is a Lusus Lusii thing, what is sburb, and, does it have anything to do with why whenever Lalonde says goodbye to the other Lalonde they interchange mom and daughter, same with the Harley English kids and grandpa or ma, or the Crocker Egbert bunch aswell?” Toni physically turned her body to Karkat, giving him her full attention.  
“All right, it all started with a game…”

 

“Extraterrestrials, Betty, extraterrestrials!” Jughead said, stressed out of his mind. Behind him, the cork board for the newspaper was covered with pictures of the kids, red string connecting them, along with pictures of space, area fifty one, a question mark, and various other images. He held his hands in front of him, trying to prove a point, but just making him look more crazy. “It’s the only option!”  
“Jug, you’re sounding crazy.” Betty laughed at her boyfriend, going and kissing him lightly on the cheek.  
“But Betty, there’s no there option here.”

 

At the end of the day, Cheryl was crying in the women’s room, staring at the toilet, pondering whether she should go back to her old ways, but ultimately her sadness overwhelmed that urge, and she just sat in silence.  
Then, the door opened. She heard Dave’s voice… she wish he didn't have to come in this restroom.  
“Look, whoever is in here, I couldn't give less of hytd who you are, so just get the jigb out and let me be.” Dave said, some his words sounding less like words and more like straight out gibberish.  
“Dave, it’s just me, it’s fine. Do whatever you need.” Cheryl said from her stall.  
Dave growled out more words-were they even words?- and knocked on Cheryl’s stall, telling her to come out.  
“What do you need, straw top?” Cheryl looked up at Dave, his five inches on her and near gray skin truly terrifying. “Dave? What happened to you?”   
Cheryl reached up her hand, tangling it in his hair as he leaned into it, a sigh falling from his lips.  
“Grimdark…” said a voice from the doorway, where Rose and Jade stood, looking at Dave sadly. “But not full yet, you can still stop it.”  
Dave looked to his sister and friend, taking of his shades to show his eyes, the red iris turning more burgundy, slowly approaching black.  
“Why?” was all Dave could managed to say, before falling to the ground, all three girls crowding around him.  
“Dave, please, I don't know what the hell is going, I won’t pretend I do, but I know I care about you and so does Karkat,” Cheryl decided to avoid his name for a while, seeing as it made Dave sob then. “ so I'm going to do everything to help you!”  
Rose hugged her brother, Jade pet his hair, and Cheryl cried onto him, letting her tears soak through to his heart.  
Slowly, he felt wanted, he felt less numb, and his emotions returned, along with them, the red roots of his hair, the millions of freckles coming back into focus all over his skin, eyes returning to vivid red, making Cheryl gasp, and tears began streaming down his face.  
“What did I do? Oh my god, Rode Rose why did I do this, Jade please tell me I didn't hurt anyone! Cheryl, I'm so sorry I didn't mean it I swear, I'm so sorry i'm so sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry…” Dave sobbed, his tears eventually running dry, but he still felt like sitting there.  
“We know Dave, but hey, I have something that might cheer you up…”

 

“Karks?” Dave asked, a hood over his head, hiding his face in shadow. He had approached his ex boyfriend, who had been sitting alone, and sat beside him, it was 6:12 pm, all seorents and Striders were expected at the wyrm soon.  
“Dave! Oh my god, I'm so sorry for earlier, I wasn't thinking I didn't even ask you what had happened and I know you said some stupid shit but that doesn’t matter what I said was worse and I care about you so much please don't leave me for real I don't think I could live without you I just couldn't do it God I love you so much Dave!” Karkat begged, grabbing Dave’s hands in his own.  
“Kar, I love you too, and I'm, I'm….” Dave looked up, his hood falling back, revealing he wasn’t wearing his *iconic* shades, and he and the girls had washed out his hair, his head now a full strawberry red, glinting slightly in what little sun was left. He cried, and Karkat held him, they didn't need words, they both knew what had happened, and that was enough. “I'm so sorry…”

 

“Welcome to the wyrm, boys,” a serpent said at the door, letting the two boys in, Cheryl and Toni following after in their respective jackets. Cheryl smiled at Dave, thinking slightly on how strong he was, then thinking on how similar his hair looked to hers and her mothers.  
It was five minutes at the bar until a serpent called up Dave and Dirk, who came up straight away, whether from fear or politeness, no one could be sure.  
“Ready?” Dave whispered, looking to his brother for support  
“Totally, you?” he smirked at his younger brother, having an inch or two on him.  
“Hell yeah.” Dave smirked back.  
“Nice hair by the way, when’d you dye it?”  
“Didn't, I washed out the dye.”  
“Wha-” Dirk was cut off by a serpent bringing out the box with a snake in it, holding a two knives near it, each with either red or orange tape around the hilt.  
The boys glanced up to a balcony above them, seeing Bro talking to someone, either not realising it had started, or just not caring.  
They got the knives without a hitch, although Karkat, Jake, and Kevin were terrified for their respective boyfriends. As they walked away, preparing for the last part of initiation, Dave questioned his brother on this.  
“Hey, so, who *are* you dating?”  
“Jake and Kevin, but Jake isn’t dating Kevin, they’re just friends who are both dating me.” Dirk smiled over at his boyfriends, who were no doubt talking about dungeons and Dragons.  
“That’s cute, I'm happy for you man.”  
The beating up part went off without a hitch, unless you count Dave making quips everytime he was hit, making Dirk laugh as he was beat as well.  
This, though, was were things got ugly. Bro hadn’t bothered paying attention to the boys all night, so when he looked over to see Dave with red hair, red hair he had told him to periodically dye, he felt anger flare in his chest- i mean it had to flare somewhere, seeing as he has no heart.  
“You lil shit,” Bro stormed over to the stage where the boys were handed their jackets, now walking off of it into a shaded place, grabbing Dave by the scruff, and pulling him back painfully. “I told you to dye your hair blonde like the rest of us or it would be red with blood by the time i'm done with you.” Bro said angrily, not realising Dirk had “accidentally” turned on a microphone near them, letting the whole bar know what was going on. “When we get home you're getting the beating of your lifetime, fitting as it will be the end of it, you lil bitch.”  
The bar was silent, until Karkat stood up.  
“Law number five, a serpent never betrays his own, never hurts his own.” Karkat glared down Bro, as he realized what had happened, turning to Dirk, who was holding the microphone.  
“Why I oughta!” anger clouded his mind, he began running for Dirk.  
Dave stepped in front, gaining a punch from Bro, but kept running in front, adding more and more injuries to his plethora both from the confrontation and the final task.  
People began getting out of their seats, pulling back Bro until he was subdued, pulled out the door, stripped of his jacket and locked outside; his curses nothing but cruelty he spat at a door that would never open for him again.  
They’d done it, hell was over… for now.


	6. Welcome To The Land Of Locks And Tears

It was saturday when Dave woke up, and he rolled over in his bed, the room smelling distinctly of alcohol, he tried to remember what happened last night, but found no problem.  
Let’s go back, he and Dirk, along with their boyfriends and friends, had ran out of the Wyrm as soon as Bro was gone for sure, heading out to show off their skins to all their non-serpent friends. When they had arrived home, drunk off happiness and good times-don't worry, they had stayed tactfully away from Gamzee, who may or may not have tried to punch Dave, mumbling ‘motherfucker’- to find Bro pigging out, thankfully in his room, and they went to bed peacefully, making no show they had come home at all.  
Bro, unfortunately, had woken in the middle of the night. He decided to write a note to Dirk in Dave’s handwriting informing him: ‘sup dude, me and karks headed to pop’s early, see you there -dave’ making sure to use a name he had heard Dave mumble once before and no capitals, just like the little shit did, and to say he was going to Pop’s, like the group always did on saturdays. Then, he strode to Dave’s room, opened the door soundlessly, snuck over to Dave’s drawer, and took his binder, thinking to himself that he should have done this a while ago, deciding to then steal as well his shades-why take one of his treasured items when you can take two, especially when they both are some of the only things that make him feel correct, right?- before sneaking back out and locking the door.  
He walked casually over to the landline, punching in the numbers for the Blossom residence.  
*ring*  
*ring*  
*ring*  
“Hello?” the voice of the devil said.  
“Three rings, you really haven’t changed, have ya Pen?” Bro said casually, practically able to feel the way Penelope Blossom smiled happily at his voice.  
“No, Broderik, I haven’t, and I suppose the same can be said for you? Still as handsome as ever?” she shamelessly flirted through the phone, twirling the cord in her bony fingers.  
“Now now Pen, I called for a reason, do you remember the name a that place you sent Cheryl to?”  
“Of course, was the best time of my life. Why do you ask?”  
“The kid, she’s a bit of a problem, I want to fix her, and she hasn’t been responding to my methods. I was hoping those folks there could help me.”  
“Which one? As I remember, I had two little girls…”  
“The one with red hair like yours, Pen, Dove.”  
“She always did seem like a ruffian, alright. The name of the facility is Sisters of Quiet Mercy, I wait for when you call me again.”  
“Of course.”  
With that, Bro hung up the phone on the biological mother of both Rose and Dave, turning to the latter’s room, smirking. To him, playtime was over.

Dirk headed to Pop’s thinking he would meet Dave and Karkat there along with everyone else, most likely the two boys had met in the booth and decided to makeout until everyone else got there. But when he Jake and Kevin arrived, the bell ringing overhead, everyone looked to him, including Karkat, expecting the younger Strider as well.  
“Where’s Dave, chums?” Jake asked, looking around as if they were waiting just around the corner.  
“Did he leave after you guys?” Cheryl looked more worried than usual, which was saying something as she was usually his guardian angel in red heels. “I’ve got something I need to tell him.”  
“No, he actually left me a note he went early, with Karkat…”  
Everyone turned to the small now non-troll, expecting him to know where his other half was, but he was just as clueless.  
“I haven't seen him all day, the only thing He’s said to me all day was that he was feeling bad, and would be late. I thought it was true, since he used actual grammar for once, and capitals too.  
“Well, it seems we’ve all been lied to, let’s go back to the house and see if he’s there, sound good?” Dirk said, his plan seemed pretty fool proof, to him at least.  
“Yeah, when I see him though, I'm gonna punch him for lying to me.” Karkat mumbled.  
“Agreed.” Cheryl said with a grin, she knew Karkat wouldn't really, just as she wouldn't.

When they arrived, the trailer like home was practically abandoned, except for a lock on one of the room’s door.  
“What the hell?” Dirk said, rushing to the door, confusion laced in his words as everyone trailed behind.  
“What is it?” Jughead asked, forgetting the thought that he should be searching for clues as to how The Kids familial tree worked in his worry for his douchecanoe of a friend.  
“There’s a lock on Dave’s door. Meaning,” he added when he saw Jake’s confused face, bless his soul, “Dave can't get out.” People started shouting, trying to rouse Dave from sleep.  
On the other side of the door, Dave was only now getting up, and we’re back to the present. It was saturday when Dave woke up, and he rolled over in his bed, the room smelling distinctly of alcohol, he tried to remember what happened last night, but found no problem. He heard voices on the other side of his door, slightly muffled by the cheap wooden surface.  
“One sec!” he shouted, happy when the voices seemed to calm.  
He reached for his binder, not finding it where he left it, feeling annoyed, he decided he would get it later, probably just wear his biggest sweater and smallest bra and tank top. He reached for his shades, not finding those either, and got mad.  
“Dirk!” He growled out. “I swear to god if you took my shades!”  
“I didn't! Are you ok!?” His brother yelled back from outside.  
“Duh! Why wouldn’t I be?” Dave asked, heading over the door, reaching for the handle.  
He tried to turn the brass knob, but found it would not open.  
“Uh… dude, not cool!” Dave was starting to freak out, why wasn't the door opening?  
“Dave!” Karkat, that was Karkat’s voice, why did he sound worried? “Don't worry we’re gonna get you out of there, ok?”  
“Why would you need to get me out? I can just turn the handle!” Dave knew he wasn’t thinking straight, but he didn't care, the room was too small, the door wasn't opening, his chest was too big, his eyes were too open, he was too alone, why were the windows suddenly so bright?  
“Dave!” That was Betty, who all was here? “Just calm down, ok?”  
“I don't need to calm down Cooper, someone just needs to stop holding the handle and let me out!”  
It went on like this for a while, Dave freaking out, the others in the living room calming him down until it boiled down to just Karkat, Rose, Roxy, Dirk, Cheryl, Toni, Kanaya, Terezi, and surprisingly- Vriska, Gamzee, and Jughead.  
Gamzee came over during one of Dave’s random freak-outs, and sat with his back against the door, sitting in between Karkat and Cheryl, the only reason Dave’s family was not sitting there as well was because they were all pacing, a Strilonde habit. Dave, like the rest of his family, could be heard pacing in his room, along with the occasional random punch to the wall.  
“Hey brother!” Gamzee yelled, getting everyone’s attention. “While everyone else out here is motherfuckin freakin out, why don’t we spit some rhymes to the mirthful messiah? I might hate your motherfuckin guts, but I don't want you all upin hurtin yourself.”  
The door slumped towards them, alerting them to Dave sitting against it. “Sure, clown, let’s do it… you wanna go first?”  
“Sure brother.”  
(don't judge me I can't rap for my life so here just take my crud)  
“Paint is white but your blood is red,  
I wanna cut off your fuckin head.’  
“You think I can be brought down by that,  
My rhymes are simply much too phat.”  
“I'm gunna cul you filthy rust,  
And use your blood to make pie crust.”  
“No way that’ll happen when I'm in hear,  
And even if you did I’d just godteir.”  
“Don't act like you’re all that shit,  
My boy Tavbro used to make you sit,  
He would make you cry then make you pout,  
And tell you what, it’s all about.”  
“Your boys gone now but don’t you cry,  
I’ll be here to make the tears dry,  
We can rap til day is done,  
And until our pain comes undone.”  
“You're right bout that Strider bro,  
We’ll stick together rhyme to and fro,  
We’ll all wait out here for you to be free,  
Then you you can eat pie with me!”  
“Fuck yeah man, can’t wait…” Dave mumbled, the rap session over.  
“HoNk! :o)”  
“Honk…”  
Jughead was very, very, confused.  
(i'm so sorry)

The kids stayed until they heard a motorcycle in the driveway, all but the Strilondes going out the back and heading home, Karkat attempting to stay behind before Rose promised him Dave would be fine. Bro entered the room to find nearly all his family there, the anger on their faces and what seemed like pure power in the air enough to make anyone scared.  
“I would greet you with your normal icy title of father, but I don't think you deserve that now, not after what you’ve done.” Rose said, her feet making quiet footsteps as she stalked over to Bro, her eyes glowing with a strange purple light, and what seemed like two sticks of pure light fading in and out of existence in her hands.  
Roxy, noticing, walked over to Rose, taking her hand in her own, calming her ecto daughter down, the glowing going down as well.  
Dirk on the other hand, had no one to calm him down, his anger flaring, he felt familiar sparks at his fingertips, and the edges of his person seemed to be tinged with a pink glow, his glasses fogging up slightly as Bro felt a slight pain in his chest before Roxy calmed Dirk down as well.  
Roxy was panicking, her siblings and technically children were showing signs of the powers they had gained in that horrid game, while their abusive father in this equally horrible universe was standing in front of them, pure anger and hatred in his eyes. Her siblings had powers, but she did not, she was defenseless. She could do nothing. So, she decided, if push came to shove, which she feared it would, she would throw herself in front of the door with Dave on the other side, protecting him with her life.  
Speaking of Dave, let’s see what he’s up to. Dave, as it would be, was sitting against the door, fear coursing through his veins along with the burning venom of panic, as tears flew down his face as fast as bullets. Bro-who had hurt him his whole life without him realizing it-was on the other side, Dirk-who was so much more gentle and kind and smart and *real* than Bro had ever been-was on the other side, Roxy-who had shared burning alcohol when he was afraid before the final battle, and had held him when he had been afraid nothing would be ok-was on the other side, Rose-who had cared for him his whole life, never asked questions he didn’t want or need to answer, who was his sister, blood and breath, who loved him- was on the other side, and he was terrified. He knew what thoughts were rushing through his head were totally impossible, but he couldn’t stop them if he tried.  
He saw in front of him, Dirk, turning to him, a katana in his hands, light flashing against the blade and his brother’s glasses as he raised the sword to his neck, and he, being unable to protect himself, was cut along his throat, just as Dave had in the final battle for him. Dave turned to the side, clutching his neck, to look to Roxy, reaching one bloodied hand out to her, waiting for her to rush to him and hold her arms around him, comfortingly wrapping him in soft words and soft hugs, but she turned away and glared a chance look at him, before walking away, abandoning him, just like he had feared his mother had, before the game, when he only had Bro. He cried, crumbling, the ground enveloping him like he had wished Roxy had, and felt a hand touch his shoulder, soft and caring. He looked up, and saw Rose, perfect, angelic, lesbian Rose, her purple eyes looking down at him caringly.  
“Rose… why are they all leaving me?” Dave choked out, his neck wound having sealed soon after he gained it, but the dull pain remained.  
“Because Dave,” Rose closed her eyes and chuckled, as if he had said something funny, “that’s what people do when they find such horrible, icky, vile, unwanted, unnecessary, disgusting, weak, and putrid, vermin like you.” Rose chirped, her eyes opening to reveal the cold hatred in her eyes as she looked down on him, just as he always feared she did, seeing him as below her and not worth her time. Rose let go of his shoulder after squeezing it too hard to be friendly, and walked away.  
He sat against the door crying silently, as he had trained himself to do, always being afraid Bro would hear and beat him more for being “weak”.

Dave could hear the others yelling at Bro, telling him what he was doing and had been doing was wrong, but he couldn’t help the fear that crawled its way into his head that all the people in the living room would side with the eldest Strider, leaving him to Bro’s whims and wishes.  
Bro was angry, this was his house, his family, his child, and it was unfortunately *his* problem.  
“That is it! You need to let Dave out right now or I swear to god I will bash your head in with the handle of your stupid, idiotic, useless katana!” Roxy growled, her hands twitching slightly as she thought of all the ways she could punch Bro.  
“Why you little,” Bro stormed over to Roxy, grabbing her by the front of her pink cat sweater, pulling her towards him, raising a hand to slap her as Rose and Dirk began screaming and pulling at his limbs, pulling a shaken Roxy out of his grasp, Dirk holding his arms while Rose held Roxy, who was beginning to yell at the adult male-though a better descriptor would probably be whore-ible ape. “I am your father you lil shit! You will treat me with respect whether you like it or not!”  
“Oh yeah? What’re you gunna do about old coot!? Hit me and tell me to shut up? See how that works for you!” Roxy yelled, struggling against Rose. “I’ll shove Dirkie’s sword up your heartless ass! It wouldn’t be the first evil bitch I’ve killed!”  
The fighting continued until Roxanne called the home, asking when Rose and Roxy would be home, to which they replied “we’re on our way Mom, don’t worry.” Before glaring ice and fire at Bro and leaving.  
Dirk practically an animal as he glared at Bro-he had grown even more, so he was only three inches or so shorter-and shoved him against the wall, his left arm on Bro’s windpipe, cutting off just enough air to be threatening, but not enough to actually kill him. He raised his fist to his father’s face, prepared to punch him into oblivion for not only hurting Dave, but for hurting Roxy and making Rose worried, when Bro said something that made him freeze in his tracks.  
“It don’t matter what you do to me, that lil shit is goin away by midnight, nothing you can do bout it, either.” Dirk couldn’t move, couldn’t think.  
When they had come to the new universe, and found out Bro existed, Dirk had sworn to himself he would protect Dave, no matter what. After he had confided in him on the roof before they fought the Jacks, he had wanted nothing more than to curl the tiny boy in a red plush blanket and feed him warm ramen. And now, after seeing what Bro was truly capable and willing to do, he had failed, and not only was Dave going to be hurt in so many ways, Dirk wouldn’t be there to tend to his injuries, much less try to stop them.  
Dirk ran to Dave’s door banging on it once more, sobs beginning to throb in his chest as Dave asked what was wrong through the door, but was pulled away by Bro and shoved into his room, which was locked soon after, trapping him inside. Dirk ran to his wall, the one he shared with Dave, and beat against it, only getting more frantic as he heard Dave rush against it, whispering to him through the wall, before Bro came into his room, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the room, despite Dave’s screams and yells for him to stop.  
By the time they were in the car, Dave was no longer struggling, bruises forming on his arms and face, and hope draining from his heart. The car rumbled over the old blacktop of the roads, jolting Dave from side to side in his seat, he couldn’t bring himself to care though, for all he felt was numb.  
When Bro returned, he unlocked Dirk’s door and told him he would go to school tomorrow just like normal, and that if he went in either his or Dave’s room, he would send him right along with his *sister*, just the word in reference to his brother, especially from Bro, making him shiver. However, even as he cried long into the night, the last words Dave had told him haunted him.

“Tell Karkat I love him, that no matter what I have to say when I get back, whatever they force down my throat until I can’t say anything but that, I love him…”


	7. Welcome To The Land Of Locks And Tears Part 2

After Dirk told everyone what had happened, they all split up either by themselves or with a partner, choosing to deal with their pain in their own ways. Dirk chose to go with Jake and Kevin, Cheryl with Toni, Vriska went off by herself, John was dragged away by Terezi, Gamzee caught hold of ‘Karbro’, Kanaya consoled Rose, Roxy with Jane, Betty and Jughead, Veronica and Archie, and Jade went with Josie off to the band room. Let’s check on our first group.  
Kevin and Jake found their boyfriend in the boy’s bathroom, crying despite having partaking in this activity all night. They rushed to his side, holding him close and brushing away his tears. They each kissed on of his cheeks, letting Dirk know they were there for him.  
“I just let him take Dave! This is all my fault! I-I could have done something! Anything!” Dirk sobbed into his boyfriends chests, the guilt pressing far too heavily on him.  
“Dirk, I may only know half of what you both went through in that house, but I fully know that you love your brother, and that he loves you, and that you no matter what did whatever you could to save him.” Kevin said, whispering gentle nothings that made all the difference to Dirk.  
“Kev’s right chum, Dave has been through so much, and so have you, he’ll be fine, don’t worry about him. You did everything anyone could do, but the man you live with is a monster, there was no way to stop this, but you put it off as long as possible, be glad of that.” Jake wasn’t sure if he would make it worse, he never was, and generally he did make things worse, but he was being truthful and honest.  
Dirk still cried, but now he was smiling. Truly, Jake’s words would have normally made him more upset, but he could tell Jake was trying, and that was what mattered. He was still sad, yes, but it was better. 

Cheryl and Toni were on the front steps of the school, or it might have been the back, it was hard to tell which one Cheryl had run to with Toni chasing her when she could barely see through her tears. When Cheryl had arrived on the steps, she had collapsed, grief and pain all she could feel until a hand landed on her shoulder.  
“Cher, I know this is hard, especially after going there yourself, but you have to stay strong.” Toni told her, sitting down next to her girlfriend, rubbing her arm gently.  
“TT, we can stage another jailbreak right? Except this time for Dave? Right?” Cheryl asked, worry and desperation dripping from her words.  
“Of course!” Dave was Toni’s friend, and her girlfriends best friend, so of course she was going to save him. “And, when he gets back,” Toni leaned down so Cheryl’s dipped head was forced to acknowledge her, “we can get him a new binder for the one Bro threw away, ok?”  
“Ok,” Cheryl sniffed.  
“They’ll have upped security, I hope you know.” Karkat’s voice said from behind them, and they looked back to see him and Gamzee at the doorway, his face was red. “But they need to get their heads checked if they think that’ll keep me or any of the others out.”  
“If anything you’ve told me is true, and I’m pretty sure it is, than I believe you.” Toni smiled, the stories her now brother had told her were horrifying and interesting, something Jug would get a kick out of no doubt, but after all he’d recounted, she looked at the new kids with newfound respect, and fear, they were badass!  
“Blossom, at the diner the other day, you said you had something to tell Dave,” Karkat’s voice faltered on his boyfriend’s name, he had received a text from Dirk that morning, informing him on what had been Dave’s last words, and it was still hard, the only reason he was still here and not at the bottom of a lake being that his friends and Dave needed him, “what does he need to know so badly?”  
Cheryl inhaled sharply, her eyes closing at the memory she was reliving. “I overheard my mother talking to Dave’s guardian, and they had some very interesting things to say.”  
As it turns out, as soon as Cheryl had realized that her mother was the evil witch of the west of Riverdale, she had taken to recording her mother’s phone calls, so they listened to the call between Bro and Penelope, learning all they needed.  
“So, not only is my mother a slut, but she’s also Rose and Dave’s, as well.” Cheryl said, glancing at all parties. Toni looked confused and slightly angry, Karkat looked furious that Penelope was also responsible for what happened to Dave, and Gamzee was spaced out with a drugged up look on his face.  
“I, am going, to *kill* that woman.” Karkat growled, his hands fists in his sweater pocket.  
“No, she deserves worse, she deserves to go to jail and suffer long for her crimes.” Cheryl said, anger pulsing through her veins.  
“Hell yeah,” Gamzee said, surprising all of them, but making them smile all the more.

Vriska passed all the students, everyone too afraid to ask her what was wrong, though Josie looked like she might. Vriska knew she and Strider had never seen eye to eyes, but she still respected, and maybe even cared about him. He had been an essential part of the meteor crew, and she now knew that he had kept her moirail Terezi sane in another universe when she couldn’t, so she was thankful. And what was happening to him…  
Her dancestor Aranea, as much as she hated her, had told her what some humans do in their world, when they think someone they know or their ‘related’ to are broken or wrong. Vriska had had nightmares only after hearing what they did, Aranea had talked so animatedly about it, like she thought it was more interesting than horrifying, making Vriska wonder if she would do something like that to someone. If what all she had said was happening to Dave, she would help him, even if it got her killed.  
Tears streamed down her face, but she ignored them, her red hightops clapping against the tile as she walked away.

John was slammed against the wall, Terezi’s blind eyes pouring salty water down her face as she kissed him. TZ broke the kiss, still clutching John’s blue tshirt and sobbed into his chest.  
“Come on idiot,” John said to Terezi, using the nickname he had chosen for her after she had driven all crazy on the lily pad during the endgame, “Dave is gonna be fine, and if he isn’t, then we’ll help him.”  
“Yeah right, Egbert!” Terezi’s scratchy voice said into the aqua fabric, her words wet with sadness. “Cool Kid is gonna go through things no one should have to! Do you know what they’re going to do? Do you!?”  
“No, Pyrope, I don't.”  
“Well I do! When I heard what was happening, I knew it couldn’t be legal-”  
“Ugh always with the law and justice aren’t yo-” Terezi cut John off with a rough hatesmooch, telling him that ‘no one interrupts the jury, fuckboy.’ before continuing.  
“Anyways, I knew it couldn’t be legal, and it isn’t! There is only one place that still does ‘conversion therapy’,” John shuddered, he had heard stories, “ around here, and I say that like dragons, we storm the castle!” Terezi cackled through her tears, pulling John forward by his shirt.  
“God you are so obsessed with dragons it’s annoying to no end, and no one even likes dragons anymore! Why can’t you just be normal!” John growled at her, not realizing how mean he was being.  
“Because if I was normal than you would live a happy life, and we can’t have that.” Terezi smirked at him with her shark like teeth, one upping him in their normal competition of insults and angering one another. “Besides, at least I don't have a chronic fear of cake, like a stupid little grub!”  
John gruffly grabbed her wrists and pushed his lips against hers, fighting for dominance and biting when he could, the red headed judge doing the same in return.  
Between what others would see as a battle more than a kiss, they would pull away and growl and pant at each other before going back at it again. Eventually they pulled away fully and both let go of eachother, fixing their hair and respective glasses, only for John to flick Terezi’s off center again, smirking when she frowned in annoyance.  
“Same time tonight at my place?” Terezi asked, though it was more of a challenge to see if he would shoot her down or accept.  
“Yeah yeah, whatever, let’s just go find Vriska.”  
“Yeah, she probably needs her moirail.” Terezi said, enjoying the way John gawked at her, damn he was attractive when he was upset.  
“She needs her boyfriend too!”  
“We’ll just see about that,” Terezi said, beginning to walk away, but not before John could grab her cane, making her lunge after it so he could slap her ass and return her ‘old lady walking stick’ as he liked to call it, laughing at the way she glowered at him.

Gamzee had grabbed Karkat’s hand and pulled him to a grassy field outside of the school, near the football field, deciding now was a good time to help his ex moirail. They sat on the ground, the grass slightly damp from the rain that had briefly fallin that morning, but certain spots were more set, seeing as Karkat was crying the whole time. As soon as they were down, Karkat was in Gamzee’s arms, sobbing hard and crying large tears.  
“Shooooosh, it’s motherfucking ok, man, shadebro is gonna be cool.” Gamzee said softly, trying his best to calm Karkat.  
“How do you know that though?” Karkat looked up at Gam, his face becoming splotchy and red. “What if he- comes back and he’s not the same? Wh-what if they try to cull him!?”  
“Shooooosh…”  
(*trigger warning for slightly suicidal thoughts and actions*)  
Karkat kept crying, the pull to give in to all his sadness that had built up was near overwhelming. In the game, the only thing keeping him sane on that godforsaken meteor had been Dave, and now that was gone as well. He felt the ropes of black inky pain wrapping around his neck, legs. and arms, dragging him farther and farther. He felt soon like the coils around his wrists were no longer just a figment, but real, and he opened his eyes to see Gamzee holding them, just like Dave had when he had first seen him itching at them, only now it felt wrong and off, when before it felt comfortable and safe. When he saw Gamzee’s hands near his own, it only hurt more, making him think of who’s it should be instead. He fell into the taller boy’s arms, clinging and crying.  
When he was done, he and Gamzee walked around to find Cheryl and Toni, proceeding to find the two broken but trying, sitting together, all sharp edges on the outside, but soft on the inside, where they proceeded to have the conversation we’ve already seen. He was going to get Dave back, if it was the last thing he did.

Rose was clutching a bottle of booze in one hand, her girlfriends hand with the other. Her tears were coming hard and fast, her eyes screwed shut as she yelled and screamed. She dropped the bottle, a soft clink hitting the ground, then a strong thud as her fist collided as well. She continually beat the ground, letting all her anger pour and fester. She heard more than Kanaya’s voice in her ears, the whispers stronger and more tempting than ever, coaxing her to just let go and let *them* take control.  
“Naya, they’re here…!” Rose begged, pulling at Kanaya’s skirt, shaking her head slowly but tightly. “P-Please help me, please..!” her voice was weak, but the pain holding it was not.  
“Rose, you are stronger than them, I know you are, Dave knows you are, and *you* know you are!” Kanaya attempted to reassure her.  
“O-of course. Of course…” Rose said quietly, falling into the other’s lap. “I’ll just lay down for a bit, I suppose.”  
“As long as you need. I love you…” Kanaya smiled down at her, tears beginning to drip down her face as well, she had learned to care for Dave on the meteor, seeing how he needed confirmation every time he did something, how he tried to help everyone but himself, how heartbroken he really was, but pretended to be fine.

Things continued like this for each pair, consoling and pain, but hope and light at the end of the tunnel. All except for Dave, or perhaps not.  
“Come along Dove, it’s movie night,” the nun bye the door said, unlocking his door to take him away.  
“My name, is *Dave*,” he said back, glaring as he stood in the flowing skirt they had shackled him with. “Like I’ve told you before!”  
Dave walked with the nun, ignoring ignoring the speech he got, because he was a he.  
When they arrived at the room, locked up tighter than Rose’s panties before she met Kanaya, the nun told him one last thing before shoving him in.  
“You know, we got another patient by the name of Strider today, perhaps you know him, he seems to be suffering from some of your same symptoms, after all.”  
*Dirk* was all Dave could think as he ran in, but that was not who he was met with.  
“Alpha?”  
“Davepeta?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> claw claw motherfuckers B33  
> yeah so i have a headcanon that all alternate timelines call Dave Alpha


	8. Welcome To Escape The Dungeon

“Davepeta?”  
In front of Dave stood a teenager of his same age, orange and green hair sprouting from their head, sticking out in a hairstyle that was similar to Dave’s but also slightly off, with a pair of bright red cat ears sticking out, an homage to the alpha timeline Dave, someone who he used to think he was. On their body was a flannel that looked to be half of a green flannel sewn together to an orange half of a flannel tied around their waist, a cream colored tank top, some pink shorts, along with black sneakers with cat noses and whispers decorating the tops, and leg warmers that matched their top. It was, to say the least, a very *eye-catching* outfit.  
They sat next to each other, whispering to each other throughout the stupid movie they were shown, despite the others around them looking at them weirdly, most likely thinking of how the two looked almost like twins, especially with how open and knowing they seemed to each other.  
“So, everyone is here?” Davepeta said, looking almost hopeful. “John? Rose? J-Jade?” red creeped up their face as their mind creeped back to when they had kissed Harley to wake her up.  
Dave nodded, smirking at Davepeta’s blush. “Yep, and ya know, Jade is doin great, she’s made a lotta friends, but I know she’s been missing *someone* from the game more than others.”  
“Really!?”  
“Mr.Strider! We have told you before to lower your voice, this is the *last* time we will not remind you again!” one of the nuns shouted.  
“I didn't say nothin!” Dave shouted at the same time Davepeta said “I told you lady I'm not a boy!” before they turned to each other and laughed.  
“That is it! Movie night is canceled, you may thank the resident Striders for that.” the nun said, expecting the children to be upset, but they only cheered, happy they were no longer being spoon fed literal bullshit.

It was the next day when Dave got out of his room again. He was eating his lunch at the pure grey tables he sat at everyday, shoving bland food into his mouth. Dave was getting so desperate for something that tasted good, he decided to try and imagine he was eating Karkat’s favorite, burritos from the Taco Bell about half a mile from their school. It didn't help much, only made him more upset, and he started crying.  
“I know child,” a nun said, appearing and attempting to console him, “it hurts, the lies the devil has burned into your mind hurt, but we will heal you.”  
“Shut up!” Dave yelled, shocking everyone around him, the room going quiet. “Just shut up, and leave me alone! I am not crying because of ‘the lies the devil has planted in my body’ or whatever! I'm upset because my amazing ass boyfriend is out there,” he pointed to one of the few windows they had in the facility, “and I'm in here! Along with everyone else! Why do we have to be in here, just because all of you are stuck in your stupid old ways!” Dave didn't realise it, but around him, other teens were standing up and joining in.  
Needless to say, Dave was punished. They locked him in his room for a few hours, until they came back, a cold look in their eyes.  
(*trigger warning for very intense shit, I don't know how to explain it, just be careful, and skip if you feel even the slightest need to, stay safe luvs*)  
They stripped him down to the bra and underwear they had shoved him into,only letting him keep his shades, and locked him in a room where the walls were all mirrors, floor to ceiling, so he was forced to see himself.  
He was in the room for days, food sliding under the door which he ate carefully, fully knowing of the sleep medicine they were stuffing his food with, but he was forcing himself to stay awake, too afraid of what they would do next, when he was especially vulnerable. When he started seeing things, he knew it was bad.  
First, he saw his friends, and thought he heard them outside his door, but they were never there. Then, it was Karkat, telling him he was happy he had such a great *girl*friend, and that he loved the fact he was a girl, and other things similar to that. Finally, it came to Bro, but it wasn’t the Bro from this universe, it was the Bro he used to know, the one who used to at least *try* and take care of him, at least when he was little, the one who he loved strifing with, thinking it was fun and that he was just training, until Bro stopped holding back, and he started going to school with bruises and cuts, then it was the puppets, and the weapons everywhere he looked, it got to be so much, but Dave just hid it all behind irony. Despite all that, Dave had never stopped loving his Bro.  
But now, in this new universe where it seemed like it was all extremes, all so much worse, Dave couldn't find it in himself to care for that man, and he wasn't even sure if he would care for the Bro he knew anymore, not after he had gotten everything out in his talk with Dirk and actually looked back on it all.  
When Dave finally slipped into unconsciousness, his mind was swimming with thoughts, and he saw the door open, the nun walking in with one of her sick smiles on her face being the last thing his mind processed before he succumbed to darkness. The Knight of Time did not dream that night.

 

Dave woke up right where he had fallen asleep, but when he took his first breath of the morning, his mouth sucked in hair instead of air, causing him to choke momentarily. He sat up, and looked at one of the walls, seeing that his hair had either grown exponentially, or the nuns had given him extensions when he was asleep, but while they had also gifted him with some clothes, they had taken his stupid Stiller shades.  
On his body, was a plane button up white dress shirt, and he wore a dark grey skirt to his knees, underneath which was a pair of black stockings, leading to his shoes, a pair of mary janes, a typical schoolgirl outfit, and while Dave tried to at least think of how nice it was to be in a skirt again, it was the only thing he had liked about being a girl-being able to wear a skirt without judgement- but he could only focus on how he would only wear a skirt if *he* wanted to, not if some stupid assholes decided he has too.  
Dave’s thoughts drifted to a time on the meteor where Dave had alchemized a red skirt to go with his god tier, and had worn it around his room on the flying hunk of rock, twirling and dancing as he revelled in how good it felt to wear one, because *he* wanted to, and because *he* liked it, *not* because someone else thought he should. He had been having so much fun, until someone had knocked at the door.  
Dave had scrambled to get out of his skirt, but the person had a spare key, and they unlocked and opened the door before he could even begin untying the bow at the back that held it on. He had stood there as his then crush Karkat had walked into the room, blushing furiously when he stopped mid sentence in confusion.  
“Hey Strider, have you seen my husktop ca… what are you wearing?”  
Dave panicked, and began to mutter, because when he didn't ramble, he muttered. “What, don't you know all the coolest dudes on earth wore skirts, only for the most ironic of purposes, of course! Come on Karks, get with the program.”  
“Dave, not *once* while I had to watch you throughout your idiotic lifespan did you wear a skirt after the age of eight.” right, Karkat had seen him grow up, had seen him transition, and knew he was trans-although he’d had to actually explain it to him when the troll had gathered the courage to ask him why he pressed his ‘chest fat tubes’ when they could be used as more armor- but he didn't know he had missed skirts since that time.  
“Alright fine, whatever!” Dave exploded, falling down on his bed, hugging his knees close. “I know guys aren’t supposed to wear skirts, in either of our worlds, but I like them! Even if I’m a guy, which I am,” Dave really tried to stress the point he was a boy, even though Karkat already knew this as a fact, something that could not change, “I like the way they look and feel, and they look awesome when I dance in them, so… screw you if you think I shouldn't wear them!”  
“I think you look good.” Karkat hadn’t realized he had said it, until Dave had blushed and looked away, at which he had also felt his face heat up. “And, if you wouldn't mind, could you, um, demonstrate the dancing for me? For scientific reasons, of course, learn about the other species and all.”  
“Of course!” Dave smiled, and he put on some music, before starting to dance, at which Karkat clapped every time, until the night-did they even have real nights on the meteor??- got late, and they fell asleep watching Good Luck Chuck on Karkat’s husktop, since he had in fact left his charger there from their last sleepover/movie night.  
Dave was snapped back to the future when he was let out for breakfast, where he met up with Davepeta, and they talked the whole time, Dave telling them about everyone on the outside, and Davepeta telling Dave about how they’d gotten there.  
Davepeta had just woken up on the street, Jasperose next to them. They had tucked in their wings, after noticing they had kept them-though they didn't have their horns- and Jasperose had tucked in her cat ears, attempting to cover them with her hair. They had spent a good amount of time on the streets, but eventually they’d been found, and been sent to the hell hole of the Sisters Of Quiet Mercy, at which they had acted on their true natures, Davepeta asking people to call them by pronouns of they and them, since they identified as nonbinary, and Jasperose flirting with any girls she saw, and some of the boys too, on occasion, getting them both thrown in the conversion therapy camp.  
Davepeta told Dave about how Jasperose had acted just like him, starting riots and yelling at the nuns, and had gotten herself sentenced to intensive treatment, though she would be getting out the next day, hopefully, if they had heard right from rumors.  
So together they waited as their friends on the outside plotted and schemed on how they would get Dave back, unaware that they would be picking up some more passengers as well.

 

With Dave gone, everyone was falling apart. They hadn’t realised how badly taking one person away would affect them all, but it was clear now that without everyone, they would all fall apart. In a way, they had all become the opposite of their aspects, it was strange.  
Dirk had cut off all his feelings, his heart, everything. He was basically a robot.  
Jake had lost all hope for anything, only saw despair and sadness.  
Rose felt like nothing mattered, like not knowing if Dave was ok was better than knowing he wasn't.  
Kanaya fell into the void, not able to truly interact with anything, cut off and not *really* there.  
Terezi couldn't think, was just a walking bomb of emotions, one moment she’d be laughing, then she’d be pissed at you, it was never clear.  
John was sluggish and his movements were no longer fluid, like he was, for lack of better words, stuck in oil.  
Vriska found no reason to do anything, like life had no meaning and there was no point, no light at the end of the tunnel.  
Roxy tried to do everything at once, always having something going on, trying to always be distracted.  
Jane was lifeless, moving around like there was nothing in her, just, empty.  
Jade was near Kanaya, falling into dark spots, throughout the day, like nothing could touch her, or even shine some light onto her.  
Gamzee pushed all rage out of his life, attempting to keep everyone around him happy, even though he couldn't bring himself to be.  
Karkat was the worst, he craved blood, wanted to see it run through the streets, lashed out at nearly anyone who came near him, like he was a feral animal.  
It was the night they were going to break Dave out when they all finally seemed like themselves again, knowing that there was a future where they were together again pushing them on. They had a plan, and they snuck to the tunnels, Karkat, Gamzee, Toni, and Rose going in while everyone else waited at the top.  
They ran through the mucky halls, Toni leading the way as she knew where they would be tonight, it was movie night, they had planned for this day because it would mean they knew where they would find him. They raced to the room, the door lock seemingly to open as soon as Rose began to curse about how it would be a bitch to pick, but brushed it off as good fortune.  
They jumped into the room, calling for Dave, the other children pointing to him, and the two children sitting next to him.  
“Alpha?” Jasperose asked, curious.  
“Karkat!?” Dave jumped out his seat, his boyfriend almost not recognising him with his long hair and feminine apparel.  
“Davepeta, too!” the non-binary bean yelled as they ran to the front of the room, joining with their friends.  
Dave cast one last look over the kids in the seats, but he knew they couldn't take them, it was like he was back in the game, sortov, like he was getting glances of failed timelines, where they all got stuck there. Besides, he saw the look in their eyes, they were just waiting it out, they were strong. When they got out, they would run, run like no one before, and get out of here.  
They flew down the hallways, Davepeta almost literally as they grabbed Jasperose’s hand, dragging her forward when she began to lag behind-she had been through too much, and couldn't run fast enough- refusing to even *think* about leaving her.  
They got to the end of the hall when the cat girl fell, coughing bits of blood onto her inner elbow as she hacked and coughed. Then, the nuns got closer, their shadows dancing on the walls like the demons they had ‘warned’ the children about, coming to drag them into eternal torture. They could all see they wouldn't make it, unless they had a distraction.  
Before Dave could step forward Gamzee grabbed him and pushed him to Karkat, his eyes practically red with rage.  
Then, he blinked, his face softening. “Take care of Karbro,” he blinked, “WHILE I HANDLE THESE MOTHERFUCKERS,” he blinked, “make sure he’s happy,” he blinked again, before charging, pulling a pipe sideways to block the path, but having to hold it in place.  
“No way clown!” Dave ran forward, and grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him up. “Davepeta, activate those wings, and fly with Jasperose, got it?”  
Davepeta nodded and took off their jacket, their wings flapping out as they grabbed their technically sister.  
They ran together again, the nuns now only feet behind them. Dave still holding Gamzee, though now by his wrist, as he protested, saying they needed someone to hold them off.  
“I already told you, no way, I am *not* letting any of you get stuck here, not even you.” Dave sneered at the clown as his blonde hair flapped behind him.  
Eventually they got out, sliding the pipe through the handles as they ran away, terrified, but so, so, *so* happy to have their favorite douche boy back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, i forgot to put in the chapter, but the nuns also redyed Dave's hair to blonde, btw


	9. Welcome To Breaking Hearts And Breaking Minds

“Cheryl all I’m saying is you’re being a little irrational!” Toni yelled at her girlfriend, who was currently on the other end of Cheryl’s bedroom, arms across her chest protectively  
“And all *I'm* saying is that I’m a horrible person!” Cheryl yelled back, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.  
You might be wondering why the ‘perfect couple with no fights ever’ was fighting, and you’d be right to wonder. Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz never fought, about anything, until now.   
Cheryl was convinced she was a horrible person, because when she had learned that her brother Dave was going to be taken to the institution that had only months ago held her in its conversion therapy circuit, was that she wouldn’t go back, not even for him. And this scared her, because she finally had been able to look in the mirror without a string of insults being sling through her mind, but all that was over.   
“Toni I wasn’t going to go back! I was going to sit here and not give a shit! Do you know how...how *terrible* that is!? Dave is my brother! And I was going to leave him to rot, when I knew what they would do!”   
“Cheryl! You are allowed to feel that way! If *anyone* is allowed to feel that way, it’s you! They did horrible things to you, why would you want to go back!”  
“Because they had him! Because they were doing something I knew we could stop, and my first thought was to run away and hide!”  
“And that’s fine! It’s called a fight or flight instinct! We *all* have it! And guess what? Immediately after, what did you do? You asked me how we could get him out!”  
“That doesn’t matter!”  
“Cheryl please let me help you!”  
“I don’t need your help, Jason!” Cheryl screamed, tears falling down her face, her hands clenched.  
Toni’s eyes widened, her girlfriend had called her by the name of her dead brother, what should she say to that, how does she react?  
“T-Toni… I think you should leave…” Cheryl turned away, making sure not to look at Topaz, knowing she would just run to her and never let go of her, crying into her arms, and everything would be ok; but she didn't want everything to be ok, she *wanted* to be broken, she wanted to feel like this again, she wanted to be something wrong, because being right was *so* hard, and she was sick of it.  
“Alright, I’ll just go spend the night in the guest roo-”  
“No.” Cheryl tried to hide the tremor in her voice.  
“Oh… ok…” she turned to the door, the knowledge that what she was doing now would shatter what they thought their relationship was laying heavily in her mind.  
As soon as she was out the door, Toni ran home, running through the rain, running through the hallways, running into Karkat’s room, running into his arms, and sobbing horribly, snot and tears cascading down her face.

 

“You gotta lot of nerve, pulling what you did!” Karkat burst into the common room of the high schoolers, startling all but a select few who had grown used to his dramatic entrances on their meteor trip, where he was known to burst in at least once a week with some new issue that simply *must* be taken care of. He stomped right up to the seat in which a groggy Blossom sat, a cup of steaming coffee perched in her limp hands- she couldn't care less if she burnt her own hands, they didn't matter anyway.   
“And what,” Cheryl looked up at Karkat with blank eyes, it was clear she had either barely slept, or not slept at all, “might I have pulled to make you burst in as you just did?”  
“You know *exactly* what I’m talking about, you daft Blossom.” he growled, something he thought he had lost the ability to do once he had turned full human, but somethings never change, perhaps.  
“Oh really? I don't think I do…” she was toying with him, he knew it for sure.  
“Like hell you don't! You crushed her heart into a mill-”  
“Karkat?” Dave was behind him, holding his left hand in his own, the dark skin Karkat had been marked with a stark contrast to Dave’s pale complexion.   
Dave hadn’t cut his hair yet, or washed out the dye, which was already startling enough, but he was also wearing a red summer dress, and no binder-Toni and Karkat had dropped one off a little bit after they got Dave out and stashed him at the Lalonde’s place. He had white socks coming up to his knees, and leading down to little black mary-janes, not unlike the ones he had been wearing when they escaped. His lips were a sull pink, but by the small shine they held, Karkat could tell that it was either a balm, or lipstick, that was on his boyfriends lips.   
On any other occasion, Karkat would've jumped at this opportunity, shoving Dave against a wall, stealing the taste from his lips and the breathe from his lungs, Earth just had so many amazing things, like chapstick, god did he love chapstick. But not now, right now, he was startled. Why was Dave still dressing like this? Did he need more time to recover then they had thought? If so, why didn't he just tell Rose or Roxy, and stay home? Why?  
“Dave? Why are you dressed like this?” Karkat asked, turning around and adjusting his hold on Dave’s hand so he wouldn't have to let go, not again.  
Dave’s face seemed to brighten and then drop at his name before he opened his mouth to speak. “D-Dove is fine… and, well, do you think I look bad?” he sounded worried, but Karkat knew better.  
“Strider,” Karkat concluded using a last name would be better in this situation, “you *know* I think you look great in everything, so… why?”  
“Why?” Dave laughed, but sounded slightly off, a touch to cute. “Oh you silly thing! I'm over that dumb *phase* I went through, so I'm all better!”  
“What?” Karkat stared and stared, trying to find a crack in the charade but ludicrous of it all diluting anything he was able to scrounge up. “Strider you aren’t making any sense. Do you need to go home or sit down or-”  
“Karkat I'm fine!” Dave yelled, biting his trembling lip when a few people looked at them strangely- god why couldn't he do this in private? “I'm fine, really, but… there is something I want to talk to you about…”  
“What is it?” Karkat didn't believe a word that was coming out of Dave’s mouth, but he would wait with him, until it was all sorted out.  
“Well, I um… I… I don't think we should be together anymore.”  
It was like the world had stopped. Cheryl’s empty coffee cup- she had finished during Dave and Karkat’s conversation- hit the carpet floor. Rose, who was only now walking in with Kanaya on her arm, froze in the place she had been standing. John and Jade looked over from where they had been arguing with Jughead. Everything stopped, like time itself felt a ripple of discourse, something had happened, that *wasn’t*supposed to.  
“O-oh. Ok…” Karkat didn't feel tears welling up, and he definitely didn't have to resist the urge to tighten his grip on Dave’s hand.  
“Ok..?” Dave felt tears of his own ‘he so willingly agreed… guess he didn't care after all…’ “Ok, I’ll just, go then…” Dave began walking away, his hand falling limply to his side when it was released form Karkat’s  
‘He let go…’

 

By lunch the whole school knew that Cheryl and Toni were fighting, with Karkat on Toni’s side, and Dave and Karkat had broken up. After their breakup, no one had really seen Dave, but he was there, always sitting in the farthest away space he could, making sure that Karkat didn't see him, or anyone for that matter.  
Why did his mind keep going back to Karkat… they had broken up. Dave had left him there. But it was better this way.  
He had hurt so many people today, telling Rose that he was going to spend some time alone, ignoring the pained look on her face as she told him she’d be waiting when he got back(he never came back), telling Dirk that his machines were “kinda dumb, ya know?” so that Dirk wouldn't want to talk to him(it had definitely worked), plain avoiding Roxy, clutching his hair whenever he saw her searching for him(he made sure she never found him), and the list goes on and on…  
He was terrified, and broken, and hurting, and needed help, but he wasn't going to bring them down with him. He knew the nuns would find him, or Bro would. He *knew* it. And no one could be around when that happened, they would only get hurt. And what better way to make sure no one’s there when the time comes then to never have anyone around at all?  
Dave pulled himself from his inner psyche as a boy whistled and called over to him, “Hey Baby~ looks like all the seats are taken, wanna sit on me instead?” the table he was at went bonkers, not even noticing that he flipped them off, or just not caring. He looked to the side and saw where he and his friends usually sit, Toni, Cheryl, and Karkat sitting on the end like usual- the spot next the Karkat was empty… it was *his* spot- but he could see Karkat gripping the table when the boy talked to Dave, and he swore Karkat was about to pounce when the boy tried to lift Dave’s skirt.  
It wasn't a very good lunch.

 

Bro picked Dave and Dirk up from school that day, pulling Dave into a big hug, telling him that strifes were gonna be easier now-letgoletgoletgoletgoletgoletgo- and that he looked so pretty in a dress. Dave smiled, and thanked him, spinning around for show, making sure his hair bounced nicely.  
When they got home, Dave went to his room, saying he had homework to do, but he instead sat on his bed, fully undressed, lightly scratching at his chest-IhateitIhateitIhateitIhateit- once he got the bandages on properly. He had used bandages when he was a kid, he’d seen it online, and had been ecstatic that he looked like the boys in video games and TV shows Bro found cool enough for them to see.  
He was awake, long into the night, thinking over everything, and hoping it would all work out… he didn't even notice that the minute hand on his clock on the wall, seemed to be going about two times as fast as it should have when he wished the night would end sooner.

 

About four point thirteen miles away, John Egbert was asleep in his bed, wind swirling his hair around his head, the window was closed. Across from him, Jane’s small cooking trophies- the ones with little people on them- seemed to be moving as well.   
Even farther still, in a house occupied by people who would much rather be on an island, things were zapping in and out and around the place, green sparks the only sign it had really happened, along with the white glow provided by a sleeping Jake English.  
And even farther still, a girl sat awake in bed, unable to sleep, a book in her hands, though she barely even need it, she knew what was going to happen, though she had never read the book before. Across from her, little trinkets, like cookies or pins, were popping out of nowhere around her sister’s bed, and she thought, ‘Roxy must be having a truly strange dream, but… why do I know this?’  
The gods were waking up...


End file.
